Irwin-industrial Tool Company

Steven R Levine

Lindsay J Klebenow

William B Korb

Norman Leblanc

Donald A Brown

Kevin Fleury

Corey M Talbot

Peter Weremchuk

Leslie Daily Gist

John Charles Smith

Matthew R Shute

Derek James Nash

Jeffrey L Spanski

Norman John LeBlanc

James Michael Burry

Gregory C Schultz

Hamilton Sean Michael Whitney

Gordon Anderson

Norman LeBlane

Corey M Talbel

Christian S Leyden

James Alan Weir

Mike Williams

A handle for a utility knife includes a housing made up of two or more portions. In one embodiment, a manually operable member for use in releasing the blade is retained to at least one portion of the housing and does not become separated from the housing when the housing is in an open state. In another embodiment, a catch for engaging the blade extends from a support member that is slidably movable within the housing. In another embodiment, the housing is formed of metal and a nose portion is formed of a metal that is more wear resistant than the rest of the housing, in order to improve the durability of the nose portion. In another embodiment, a bail screw is captured on a first housing portion and threadedly engageable with a second housing portion for (i) releasably securing the first and second housing portions in a fully closed state and, in turn, releasably securing a blade within the blade opening, and (ii) manually positioning at least one of the first and second housing portions in at least one intermediate state between the fully closed state and a fully opened state to, in turn, permit the blade to be manually moved through the blade opening.

Utility knife

A folding utility knife has a handle and a blade holder pivotally mounted on he handle. The blade holder is movable between (i) a closed position with the blade holder pivoted inwardly toward the handle, (ii) a cutting position with the blade holder pivoted outwardly relative to the handle, and (iii) a blade release position located between the closed position and the cutting position. A blade release actuator is located on the blade holder and is movable between (i) a first position preventing release of a utility knife blade located on the blade holder, and (ii) a second position permitting release of a utility knife blade located on the blade holder. A locking member is movable between (i) a blade locking position with the blade holder located in the cutting position that prevents movement of the blade release actuator from the first position to the second position, and (ii) a blade release position with the blade holder located in the blade release position that permits movement of the blade release actuator from the first position to the second position to, in turn, release a utility knife blade from the blade holder.

Folding utility knife

The tape measure may consist of a relatively large tape blade. To accommodate a large blade the tape measure housing is formed as a hollow annulus having an open central core where the blade is wound about the core of the annular housing. Because the housing has a central opening it can be easily carried in one hand. The device also includes a locking mechanism for locking the tape in an extended position and a rewind mechanism for rewinding the tape back into the housing. The rewind mechanism may comprise a belt drive, opposed springs with a cam lock, a linear spring compressed by a gear drive, a motor driven gear drive, a flat spring and gear drive or a magnetic drive.

Tape measure

A light generating system including a base comprising a bottom surface comprising a nonmechanical attachment structure and a light generating device rotatably mounted to the base about an axis.

Laser line generating device with graduated base

A utility knife includes a body having a groove adapted to receive a blade. The groove has a plurality of tabs defined on at least a first side. The utility knife also includes a slide assembly device positioned in the body for sliding movement with respect to the body. The slide assembly device includes a housing with a first engaging member having a first protrusion and a second engaging member having a second protrusion releasably engaged with the tabs. The slide assembly device also includes a rocker attached to the housing that is operatively connected to at least one of the engaging members. The rocker is operable for disengaging the first protrusion or second protrusion with respect to the tabs. Disengaging one of the first and second protrusions by the rocker allows sliding movement of the slide assembly device with respect to the body.

Slide assembly device for a snap-off blade utility knife

A tape measure housing is comprised of two asymmetrical housing portions. The first housing portion comprises a receptacle in which the tape measure components are located. The second housing portion comprises a cover that encloses the first portion along a seam that is asymmetrically disposed on the assembled housing. The housing portions are weighted such that the center of gravity of the housing is oriented so that the housing will assume a predetermined orientation when dropped from a height.

A base for a light generating device or a leveling device, having a first surface that includes a connection structure to receive and mount either a light generating device or a leveling device thereto, and a second surface including a nonmechanical attachment structure.

Laser line generating device with swivel base

A laser alignment device includes a laser generating device, an upper attachment portion, and a lower attachment portion. The laser generating device includes a housing and a laser generator. The upper attachment portion is disposed near a bottom of the housing, and the lower attachment portion is pivotally and/or rotationally connected to the upper attachment portion.

A utility knife has a blade carrier defining a blade support surface movably mounted in a housing between retracted and extended positions. A catch is mounted on the blade carrier and is movable between a first position engagable with a blade seated on the blade carrier and substantially preventing the blade from moving relative to the blade carrier, and a second position spaced away from the blade located on the blade carrier and permitting removal of the blade from the blade carrier. An actuator is mounted on the blade carrier and is operable to move the blade carrier between the retracted and extended positions to, in turn, move a blade located on the blade carrier between retracted and extended positions, and move the catch between the first and second positions to release a blade from the blade carrier. The housing has a nose portion that defines the blade aperture and is made of a more wear-resistant material than the other portions of the housing. A sheet material spare blade holder is mounted within the housing and defines a fold, a support portion located on one side of the fold, and a biased retaining portion located on the other side of the fold for receiving spare blades therebetween.

Utility knife with actuator for moving blade carrier and for releasing blade therefrom, and related method

A stud finder for a light generating device, having a surface and a connection structure on the surface to removably mount either a light generating device or a leveling device thereto.

Stud finder

A device and method for a straightedge with a handle and a level are provided. The device includes a rectangular body having at least one flat edge surface; a handle adapted to engage the rectangular body; and at least one leveling vial mounted to the handle. The vial indicates whether the at least one flat edge surface of the rectangular body is level against a planar surface when the handle is engaged with the rectangular body. The method of leveling or measuring includes the steps of providing a rectangular body having at least one flat edge surface, providing a handle adapted to fit with the rectangular body, the handle having at least one leveling vial mounted thereto, and removably engaging the body to the handle.

Growing community of inventors

Mooresville, NC, United States of America

Steven R Levine